Community Calendar

March 1 – April 30: Lowden Gallery Artist Lucinda Winterfield

My love of nature, the North Woods, and wildlife is evident in my paintings. When not “up north” in mind or body, I spend much of my time painting “en plein air” around Northern Illinois and organizing painting sites for our weekly group, the Eagle’s Nest Plein Air Painters. I also help organize the annual RRVPG plein air contest and workshops sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild.

A talented 4th grade classmate inspired me to begin painting and take a children’s workshop at Burpee Art Museum in Rockford. I then continued on to study fine arts at Northern Illinois University. Since retiring as a graphics specialist, I have become an avid plein air painter and participate in classes and local workshops when available.

My oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings have won several awards at Dixon’s Phidian Art Show and TNPS. You may spot me out painting with my artist friends at local parks, farms, gardens, historic sites, nurseries, and local events. Stop and say "hi" if you see our group. We love visitors and are always looking for new sites to paint.

The Coliseum Museum welcomes Joy Meyer as our Taft Gallery Artist for April & May.

Joy Meyer earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art and Art Education from Northern Illinois University. She retired in 2005 after teaching art for thirty years. Joy also taught many workshops for both teenagers and adults during her career and shortly after retirement. She has won numerous awards for both her painting and her teaching.

Joy has enjoyed working in many different media including watercolor, pen and ink, pencil, glass etching, stained glass, and silk painting, but the medium she has chosen to specialize in during recent years is Acrylic Painting. She enjoys working in a fairly realistic style using primarily bright, cheerful colors. Her actual painting techniques vary depending on the subject matter being painted and the mood desired, often using many techniques within a painting to better represent the details within the painting. Joy also enjoys the challenges of working in an increasingly wider variety of subject matter.

The Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana presents Focus on Photography, juried exhibition of works by photographers working in all photographic mediums -- digital, film, mixed and unique processes -- now through May 17.

Opportunity House Art Exhibit: Textured Landscapes

Join Opportunity House for an inspiring evening celebrating creativity and inclusion at the Opportunity House Art Show: Textured Landscapes! This free event showcases stunning nature-themed artwork—including paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media, fiber arts, and fashion designs—created by Opportunity House clients and staff. Enjoy live music, local artist raffles, hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar, and don’t miss the fashion show at 6 PM featuring client-made clothing designs.

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
📍 Location: Blumen Gardens, 403 Edward St., Sycamore, IL
⏰ Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

For more information, contact Brooke Montavon at (815) 895-5108 ext. 125 or bmontavon@ohinc.org.

Come celebrate the talent and artistry of Opportunity House!

Homecoming: In Color celebrates the reopening of Rockford Art Museum after a year-long renovation closure. This exhibition features a selection of popular pieces and hidden gems, showcasing the rich diversity of our revered collection.

Homecoming is organized by Rockford Art Museum Chief Curator, Carrie Johnson. The exhibition is sponsored by Dean Alan Olson Foundation and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

March 1 – April 30: Lowden Gallery Artist Lucinda Winterfield

My love of nature, the North Woods, and wildlife is evident in my paintings. When not “up north” in mind or body, I spend much of my time painting “en plein air” around Northern Illinois and organizing painting sites for our weekly group, the Eagle’s Nest Plein Air Painters. I also help organize the annual RRVPG plein air contest and workshops sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild.

A talented 4th grade classmate inspired me to begin painting and take a children’s workshop at Burpee Art Museum in Rockford. I then continued on to study fine arts at Northern Illinois University. Since retiring as a graphics specialist, I have become an avid plein air painter and participate in classes and local workshops when available.

My oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings have won several awards at Dixon’s Phidian Art Show and TNPS. You may spot me out painting with my artist friends at local parks, farms, gardens, historic sites, nurseries, and local events. Stop and say "hi" if you see our group. We love visitors and are always looking for new sites to paint.

The Coliseum Museum welcomes Joy Meyer as our Taft Gallery Artist for April & May.

Joy Meyer earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art and Art Education from Northern Illinois University. She retired in 2005 after teaching art for thirty years. Joy also taught many workshops for both teenagers and adults during her career and shortly after retirement. She has won numerous awards for both her painting and her teaching.

Joy has enjoyed working in many different media including watercolor, pen and ink, pencil, glass etching, stained glass, and silk painting, but the medium she has chosen to specialize in during recent years is Acrylic Painting. She enjoys working in a fairly realistic style using primarily bright, cheerful colors. Her actual painting techniques vary depending on the subject matter being painted and the mood desired, often using many techniques within a painting to better represent the details within the painting. Joy also enjoys the challenges of working in an increasingly wider variety of subject matter.

The Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana presents Focus on Photography, juried exhibition of works by photographers working in all photographic mediums -- digital, film, mixed and unique processes -- now through May 17.

The Next Picture Show is excited to once again host the Illinois Watercolor Society for their 41st Illinois Watercolor Society National Exhibition throughout the month of May. This show features talented artwork by artists from the USA, Canada, and beyond!

The NIU Art Museum hosts its Mysterious Dream Suite of 4 exhibits through May 10: "Windows to the Subconscious," "Surrealist Classics from the Museum Collections," “Phantasmagraphica: The Early Psychedelic Work of British Artist Douglas Binder or Nightmares of alienation in post-industrial England” & “A Deb Sokolow Sampler: 20 Years of Speculative Drawing."